Various forms of saddle pads and harness pads as well as padding utilized for the comfort of bedridden patients to prevent bedsores and other skin irritations have been heretofore provided. Examples of some of these previous types of pads and padding structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 557,885, 565,757, 1,129,847, 3,417,413, 3,466,852 and 3,807,136.
In the patent to Stanley E. Deal, U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,136, a double ply saddle pad is provided by arranging two plies each consisting of a flexible backing layer and a dense fibrous pile layer in back-to-back relation. This saddle pad or blanket includes peripheral edge portions which are secured together in addition to specifically designed zones of intermediate portions of the plies which are secured together in a manner to tightly compress the fibrous pile layers of the plies of the pad in the central portions thereof which are secured together for the purpose of providing air circulation pathways to facilitate moisture evaporation and resultant cooling of the animal's hide upon which the saddle pad is disposed. However, presently available dense fibrous pile plies presently available tend to work particles of dirt and other foreign material through the dense pile layer thereof and into and through the backing layer. Accordingly, although individual plies of this type may be readily machine washed, when two such plies are secured together in the manner above set forth dirt and other particles become trapped between the backing layers to the extent that they are not readily washed from the saddle pad. Furthermore, when two plies disposed in superposed relation are draped over the compound curvature of the back of a horse there is a tendency for one of the plies to shift relative to the other and for various marginal portions of the plies to shift relative to each other in order that each ply may more readily conform to the compound curvature of the back of the animal over which the pad is draped. However, when the two plies of a pad of this type are secured together about corresponding marginal portions in a non-removable manner and corresponding central portions of the plies are also secured together against relative shifting, slight relative shifting between corresponding portions of the plies of such a saddle pad is substantially eliminated with the result that the underply may become wrinkled or bunched thereby establishing an area of high pressure when the weight of a saddle and its occupant bears down upon such a wrinkled lower ply portion.